Facing a high-stakes contract year, Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is overhauling his approach to rebound from a disappointing 2025 season and prove he belongs in the secondary.
There's a lot on the line this season for Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who enters his fourth year in the NFL.
General manager Ryan Poles moved up to select Stevenson with the No. 56 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Four years later, the Bears' cornerback is now entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Stevenson's 2025 season featured plenty of ups and downs. He played in 13 regular-season games after dealing with a shoulder and hip injury. Veteran Nahshon Wright also cemented himself as one of the boundary corners, which took snaps away from Stevenson.
According to Pro Football Focus, Stevenson finished 74th out of 75 cornerbacks with at least 345 coverage snaps in yards allowed per coverage snap (1.73). He also allowed a 4.2% explosive pass play rate -- ranking 73rd among 75 corners.
The 6-foot, 204-pound defensive back gave up 40 receptions on 65 targets for 617 yards and one touchdown. Stevenson logged one interception, nine passes defensed and a 91.6 passer rating allowed.
Now, it wasn't all negative for Stevenson. Bears assistant general manager Jeff King highlighted the fluctuation in play is natural in young players.
"It's our job to help him through those," King said in April. "He's made some great plays - the fumble versus Dallas changed the trajectory of that game very early in that game. You know, we're never going to put a ceiling on a guy's upside. We're not going to put Tyrique in a box and say, you know, you're going to be this. He's still growing. He's still learning. You know, he's shown those flashes of being a great player, and we have a lot of hope that through this offseason he's going to get there. We saw him in the building yesterday. He looks great. He's done a really good job this summer -- or this spring of getting in shape.”
With Stevenson entering this critical point in his career, defensive backs/passing game coordinator Al Harris sees a new version of the Bears' cornerback.
"You know what I would say this for Riq, the young man that reported last year is so totally different than the young man that's reporting this year," Harris told reporters on Thursday. "He's focused in, he's locked in. The small details, you can just tell by the questions that he's asking, the small details he's honing in on, whether it's his movements, whether it's, ‘Hey coach, just get me to the ball,’ he's asking the right questions, and he's staying focused in. Not that he wasn't doing that, but I just see that level raised this year."
Harris is entering his second season with the Bears, and that has given him an opportunity to understand Stevenson and the rest of his players more. Harris told reporters that the two have connected with their similarities on things in their personal lives and other aspects off the field.
But it will be Stevenson's on-the-field performance that could secure him another contract with the Bears if he can capitalize on his opportunities.
The Bears drafted cornerback Malik Muhammad in the fourth round. There will be competition at the corner spot opposite of Jaylon Johnson, which just adds to the pressure Stevenson will be under this season.
